Wednesday | May 07 2025 | 02:51:46 PM
New Delhi, April 25
The Delhi Police arrested social activist Medha Patkar for not furnishing probation bonds in a 24-year-old defamation case moved against her by Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V K Saxena.
Delhi court had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) on April 23 in the case filed in 2000 against Patkar, the leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) .
A day earlier, the Delhi High Court refused her plea to stay for two weeks the proceedings for execution of a probation bond linked to the case. The HC had asked her to approach the trial court.
The case had been scheduled for hearing on May 3.
In the defamation case, Patkar had allegedly called L-G Saxena – who then headed an NGO in Gujarat – a “coward” and alleged his involvement in hawala transactions.
In a press release dated November 25, 2000, Patkar had alleged that Saxena was supporting the NBA in secrecy. While Saxena’s NGO had actively supported the Sardar Sarovar Project of the Gujarat government, the NBA was leading a movement in opposition. She also alleged that he had given a cheque to NBA and it bounced.
Last year in May, a magistrate court had held Patkar’s statements defamatory and sentenced her to a five-month jail term on July 1. ASJ Singh had suspended the sentence and granted her bail on July 29, 2024.
